How is that Free Agent Doing for You?

Every July, various team owners and GM's, despite their better judgment, lustily rush out to sign whatever slab of UFA meat they can catch to the biggest, longest contract that they possibly can afford.

Salary inflation? Dimishing returns? Chemistry concerns? Cap issues? Those factors mean little when a fairly good player is on the free agent market, and a bevy of other teams are vying for the same player.

So, which of these unrestricted free agent players have actually been a good investment thus far?

Chris Drury - 2007 salary of $7.1 mil (28GP 6-13-19 -2)
Despite the fact that Drury has never proven himself to be more than a pretty good second liner, the Rangers decided to fork over superstar money without a second thought. I wouldn't say Drury's production has been disappointing, given that it's in line with previous totals of his, it's just that Drury is definitely overpaid for the type of player he is.

Scott Gomez - 2007 salary of $10mil (28GP 5-16-21)
Gomez is definitely one of the better playmakers in the league, but has always had consistency and coachability issues. Again, the Rangers forked over large amounts of money for somebody who is not a superstar (he had only 60 points last season), and they aren't getting rewarded for their investment. Gomez just doesn't have the same chemistry with Jagr that Michael Nylander had, and will probably never live up to his huge contract.

Of course, it's always easy to pick on the Ranger$, so let's look at some other squads.

Robert Lang - 2007 salary of $4mil (27GP 7-15-22 +12)
After putting up a decent 52 points last season, the Wings gave up on the enigmatic 36-year old and the Hawks scooped him up for a rather hefty amount. Well, Lang has found new life alongside the kids in Chi-Town and has been putting up big numbers while paying attention to his defensive play. The Hawks needed a proven offensive player with experience, and Lang was the perfect piece to fit in the puzzle. I don't expect his production to keep up at this pace, but 55-60 points is probably a safe bet.

Paul Kariya - 2007 salary of $6mil (25GP 7-18-25 +4)
Many pundits thought that Kariya wasn't worth the money and the terms that were given to him by the Blues, especially given his history of injuries. Yet, the Blues knew that they needed to win back the fans (Which they have), increase offensive production, and get themselves a bit of star power. Kariya leads the Blues in scoring, and seems incredibly happy to be in St. Louis. The guy has been very healthy post-lockout, and his injury issues seem to be a thing of the past. Given his speed and work ethic, I don't think Kariya will decline all that quickly, and the overall investment will be a good one for the Bluenotes.

Michal Handzus - 2007 salary of $4mil (28GP 2-3-5 -11)
Once upon a time, Handzus was one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, and a pretty fine playmaker, to boot. Then, he ran into a series of major and minor injuries, and his skating speed went from average to slower-than-molasses-in-July. Even still, it's hard to fathom that Handzus has fallen so far, so fast, and has put up an awful season at both ends of the ice. The Kings took a risk on a player who played just eight games last season, and got burned for it.

Rory Fitzpatrick - 2007 salary of $550,000 (15GP 0-1-1 -10)
You'd think a guy that was almost voted into the All-Star game last season wouldn't suck as much as he has, but Rory Fitzpatrick has taken the role of pylon to a whole new level. Signed by the Flyers as depth insurance, Fitzpatrick has looked all out of sorts this season, and wouldn't even be worth having on the roster for free.

Michael Nylander - 2007 salary of $5.5mil (27GP 7-18-25 -12)
Nylander, 35, is a player that continues to defy age and put up some awesome offensive numbers late in his career. Sure, he gets to play with some of the league's best wingers, but it's not as if Nylander's playmaking talent isn't evident. The Caps spent big to get Ovechkin a good center, and the investment is paying off. Sure, the guy is -12, but Ovechkin's got 20 goals in 27 games and Nylander wasn't signed to play the role of checking center.

Viktor Kozlov - 2007 salary of $2.5mil (27GP 3-12-15 -1)
Kozlov is a player that GM's seem to love more than they should. Despite his immense size and skill, Kozlov is often far too content to play a background role, and is more invisible than the nerdy girls at a High School dance. Kozlov has just four 50-point seasons, and two 20-goal seasons over his long career.

That said, $2.5mil for a guy who will put up likely 45-50 points this season isn't exactly horrible in the world of free agency. Yes, Kozlov should be doing a lot more with his talent, but the payback that the Capitals are getting is fairly in line with the UFA market. The contract isn't as bad as some might think, and it's not as if Kozlov doesn't add some talent to a very thin roster. Remember, the Caps needed to boost the amount of money they were paying to meet the salary floor.